Contents

High above the ice planet, Rew, was what looked like an assimilation of spacecraft fragments, rock and other materials. It was barely visible from the ground; a blizzard had clouded it. Then, a burning stream of heat was fired from the junk pile. As soon as it hit the ground, the snow began slowly melting. The white landscape was turning to blue oceans. Not long after, Rew had melted, becoming a water planet.

Inside the mass of wreckage were many Kklxin. One of them said, "At last, we have found our new home!"

The leader replied, "We're not done wrecking havoc on those Vaikan and especially the Eteno. We need all the resources we can get to turn this pool into a megatropolis. For five million years, we've lived on this piece of junk, the Asylum. We've conquered many, but we have found no world that suits us until now! We must deploy those Genodraco spheres and gather resources because we are going to need a lot!"

An aide poked his head into Major Kruzetsnom's office, an excited look on his face.

"Major, sir?"

"Yes, son?"

"One of our recon units found a half-destroyed Genodraco sphere on the surface of Eltz. They went inside it and found on the computer the locations of three other spheres in several adjacent systems."

"Good. Alert the Dragon Dreadnoughts two systems away and get cracking on disabling those spheres."

The squad of Kklxin coughed and wheezed, all parts of their bodies irritated greatly by the gas.

"Toln, Petir, target down!"

"Roger! Ammo depleted, all hostiles down!"

"Securing room!"

"Room clear!"

As the RUA troopers rapidly progressed through the Genodraco Sphere, the sounds of their guns reverberated throughout the mighty ball of metal and Dragonrock.

THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT.

Dead Kklxin were strewn everywhere, with blood seeping from exact points on their heads and chests. This kind of marskmanship was the trademark of Recon Unit Alpha. Squad L1E, or Lie as the squad called it, was the highest-performing squad from training in batch L, and started out as Squad E. While the Kklxin were good warriors without a doubt, the RUA completely trumped them in terms of everything, barring height.

"Sarge, I found something on this databank!"{C {C
"What is it Petir?"

"The locations of three more spheres. But what stands out is that when I add these locations to my TacCom, a circle around a certain area becomes more and more defined. It's like in the center of this ring there is something of great gravity, or importance, and the spheres orit or work in pattern around it in layers."

"Interesting. Relay it to command, we're heading out to the Kklxin base about two klicks off of here."

Meanwhile, in the Yanyarigan Cloud, Mor'Leedhr was resting. His arm was nearly recovered, yet was busy preparing himself for whatever money opportunities may come. It was not long until he found one: A rather, large fleet came speeding from within the inside of the cloud. One of those ships was the Garmatox, the flagship for Grandmaster Zerif's unit. "Hmmm, that's interesting. Why would a fleet of fighter ships be mobilizing like that so quickly? Doesn't look they are migrating. Better find out."
Mor'Leedhr abandoned his camp and stepped into Nomad and followed the fleet quietly, trying to find out where they were going.
As he curiously followed, a shadowy figure appeared in the back seat of his ship.

"What?! How did you get in here?!"

"The Rustiagon are corrupt and tyrannical. Are they?"

Mor'Leedhr turned around and pointed a gun at the figure. "Get the hell off my ship!"

The figure did not respond.

"I said get off my ship!"

The figure still did not respond.

Mor'Leedhr pulled the trigger only for the laser to go through it.

"Oh, I can't be killed that easily. But listen, there is a task I've been wanting to do myself, but have not. I've been looking for...a mercenary."

"Keep talking."

"Rustiagon Karrel has killed thousands of innocent Eteno during the Aldaris Incident. He ordered his own Brothers to be bloodthirsty. Eteno children would wake up in the morning knowing their father would never return home."

"Your point?"

"He is a criminal that must be stopped! I am willing to give you anything you desire in return for framing Rustiagon Karrel for his crimes."

"Assassination you mean?"

"No! Killing him is too merciful. He needs to live his emotional pain and torture! You must discredit him. You must sabotage his Dragon Cruiser and trick him into killing off a squad of Eteno."

"Grandmaster, don't you think we are busy enough cleaning up the remains of the Harbingers?" asked Captain Rorwin.

"The Eteno are still our allies. We should take the message into consideration. Still, something's odd. Why the sudden increase in Kklxin activity? The Eteno must have either run into trouble or found something worse..."

One of the Vaikan messengers holding a telepathic amplifier said, "Grandmaster, I have just received a message from an Eteno mind transcriber. They have found the locations of more spheres."

The Grandmaster said, "How many of those things are out there? This could be deadly if more of them appear than we can destroy them."

"Wait! I'm receiving another message right now!" Eteno mind transcribers were fairly new and were the only known technology that could directly contact a Vaikan's mind via telepathic amplifiers. After several minutes, the message was finally unscrambled. "They have discovered that the spheres they have found are arranged in a perfect circular pattern."

"Interesting. That cannot be a coincidence. Whatever is at the center of that circle could take ages to find given the amount of systems in the area. We need to send a search party to find whatever is there. Captain Rorwin, bring me a few Scouts."
The thirty-or so Scouts assembled on the bridge and stood at attention.

"Men, something serious is happening. The Eteno have found that Genodraco Sphere attacks have been taking place in a perfect circle around a general location about ninety systems away. They think that the Kklxin are doing something in that area. No doubt they are sending troops of their own, but I reason that we should also send men to investigate the area in case anything comes up that the Eteno don't notice."

"Aye sir!" The Vaikan exclaimed in perfect unison.

"Well, that's all I have to say. Get to your craft and head out."

The Vaikan saluted and started towards the hangar.

"Ey, Petir, what's our ETA to the target, ah?"

"About two hours, Zhak. I heard that the Vaikan are also sending some guys in with us to investigate the area."

Meanwhile, the scouting party was searching for many hours, jumping from system to system and scanning each and everyone. Until eventually one the scouts said, "I've found something! Take a look at this: This system does not look right."

"What's the problem?" another scout said.

"This planet is much too far from the sun to have natural oceans. Something or someone has terraformed it."

"We should investigate. We can't ignore this oddity."

Not long after, they reached a planet covered in oceans and a giant metal clump of garbage floating high above a water planet.

Petir said, "That doesn't make sense. We are right in the middle of Eteno territory and clearly that thing is not an Eteno structure."

Not long after, their ship lurched forward.

"What's happening?" a scout said.

"We've been caught in a tractor beam!" said another.

A scout grabbed a Telepathic Amplifier to try to contact Grandmaster Zerif. Unfortunately, he couldn't focus with all of the rattling and shaking. They prepared themselves for whatever fate awaited them.

King Rustiagon Karrel had turned around from fighting a group of refuge Harbingers and headed to Eteno territory. He heard that a major battle is going on and urgent help was needed. On his way, Mor'Leedhr suddenly appeared aboard his ship and pointed his gun to his head.

"Don't move or else I'll shoot."

Karrel had been in this situation many times. He was very calm.

"First thing I want to ask you is how you got aboard my ship."

Mor'Leedhr circled around him. There was an unnatural, daunting dark aura surrounding the Katrakhan. "I'm the one asking questions here. That does not concern you."

"Still, I admire your skills. Very few have been able to corner me like this. But you have no idea who you are dealing with."

"You are the king after all. You are very wise. But none are wise enough to-" Mor'Leedhr pulled the trigger before he finished. However, Karrel dodged it at lightning speed even though the gun was right up to his head. He quickly turned around and grabbed Mor'Leedhr's throat and held him up to the wall.

"You don't know who you're dealing with! I am king of the Vaikan for a reason!"

Mor'Leedhr hacked. "Such arrogant words for a kid." Then, the Katrakhan's eyes lit red and his voice became demonic. "You may be the strongest and wisest of Vaikan, but you are the most corrupt!"

Karrel clenched his throat harder which did not bother Mor'Leedhr. "Who are you to judge?" Then he realized. "You are not the assassin I was just talking to are you?"

"Pah! I should have never trusted this simple-minded host." A shadow emerged out from Mor'Leedhr's eyes. The Katrakhan vanished into thin air and a figure of a Vaikan took shape.

"If you are one of Altus, then why do you still bear your grudge against our family?!"

"You cheated yourself on the exam, did you not? You puny mortals aren't worthy of governing yourselves! There shall only be one king to rule them all!"

"I did what was right for my people!"

"Say all what you want. You are but a naive child!" Karrel's face tightened with anger.

"I've had enough of this. Go back to Athen!"

Infra said, "Not yet. It's my turn now!" Infra snapped his fingers then promptly turned into a cloud of dust. He had begun taking control of Karrel's emotions. Karrel strained to keep his mind intact. He couldn't control what he was saying out loud, but he could still think and watch. "Now, how about you slaughter every last Eteno for me? After all, they destroyed a planet."

Karrel could not control himself. Infra forced him to fly the ship and attack many Eteno ships including the Kuznetsov. He was moving so fast that he could not be picked up clearly on the radar.

"Grandmaster, we've got another message: 'An unknown assailant is attacking us! They are coming way too fast for a Kklxin ship! We haven't seen anything like this! We need some- AAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!'"

"We better rendezvous with the Eteno at that Genodraco sphere and find out what just happened. And while you are at it, what's the status of the scouts?"

"I've lost all contact with them. I can't reach them with the Telepathic Amplifier."

"This just got a lot more complicated," Zerif replied. "What tricks do the Kklxin have up their sleeves this time?"

The ENS Kuznetsov was in undeniably bad shape. An incredibly powerful and fast craft sped towards them beyond any reasonable subspace speeds. This was saying something, as the Eteno Praetorian Battleship could easily cross a system in subspace in a matter of hours. This... this thing had somehow managed to sever all connection with the mighty ship's guns, forcing the crew to manually fire. This was especially inconvenient for the slug-firing guns, as there was no longer an effective loading system for the huge shells.

Lie Squad of the RUA was ordered to get to the escape pods as soon as possible so that they might escape and be captured. Any sane man or woman would call this stupid, but any sane man or woman would also say RUA soldiers are quite capable of breaking out of cells, or at least causing a great deal of damage.

"All crew! Hold your stations! Marines are to head to deck B5 to stave off incoming boarders! Don't abandon the ship! Fight her till she goes down!" the Captain yelled over the ship loudpseakers.
The escape pods containing the RUA agents weren't picked up the unidentified ship, but were immediately whisked away by another passing Kklxin vessel that destroyed its own warp trail as it went. There was no hope in following them.

Not long after, the Vaikan scout ship was inside the metal clump specifically in a docking bay along with a few escape pods from the Kuznetov. The architecture inside was unusual, and vines were growing all over. This was no doubt the Kklxin generation ship, Asylum. A group of Kklxin entered the room.

A Kklxin said, "My name is Sherskabuz! You have no business here and all of you will be escorted to the brig. We've all run scans while capturing you. You are obviously Vaikan scouts and Eteno soldiers. If you cooperate with us, we may let you live. If you resist your escort, we will detonate your ship and kill all of you with a pathogen. And don't try any of your mind tricks. Asylum is designed to disrupt any telepathic messages so you have no chance at alerting your superiors of this location."

Each of the thirty Scouts were escorted to the prison along with the RUA agents. Fortunately, the RUA had snuck aboard some of their nifty equipment. Miniature screwdrivers. Wonderful things. They fit snugly in the roof of the mouth, and are easily accessible.

Ahh, RUA. A skilled unit. They manage to be more resourceful than almost any other group, and love to hide tricks up their sleeves. In fact, if you rolled up an RUA trooper's sleeve, you would find everything from ace cards to wrist knife launchers.

Mix the RUA and miniature screwdrivers, and you get a breakout. Fortunately for L1E squad, they didn't need to use the screwdrivers, thanks to the borderline-moronic brashness of clones.

Toln, Petir, Zhak and Rolf paced around anxiously in their small cell, waiting for the perfect opportunity to break out of it. A camera slowly circumnavigated the square cell, ensuring nothing was hidden under seats. Petir would use a hidden mirror to change the view of the camera as it moved around the room. However, Petir needed to set up the mirror at just the right time in order for the operators to not notice the change in angle. The four Eteno men waited for about an hour, until Petir finally lept up and stuck the mirror to the side of the camera at an angle.

There was silence...

"No alarm... Rolf, get cracking." Toln whispered.

"Aye, matey."

Rolf was about to remove his screwdriver from his mouth, but stopped cold with his hand on his cheek when he saw a Kklxin in the corner of his eye walk by.

"You Eteno behaving? Do you need another beating again? Yeah, I bet you need a beating!" The dull clone clucked as he deactivated the laser field protecting the cell.

The idiotic Kklxin dashed in with a club, but was promptly knocked out by a precision poke to the left side of the clone's neck. The body was quickly moved by Zhak to a blind spot created by the mirror on the camera. The clone's weapons and armor were taken, and a far-more valuable asset was found after a minute of searching: an authority code dispenser. Amazing.

Toln and Petir were Eteno raised in Kklxin space to be spies, and were on the Asylum to meet with command officials. Rolf and Zhak were defectors reporting to a new guard post on the Asylum. The body was also that of an attempted assasin captured and indoctrinated by the Eteno.

Whatever hapenned, L1E squad had some work to do.
Toln, Petir, Zhak, and Rolf, along with the freed Vaikan scouts, were deciding what exactly they should do. Time was of the essence, and a thorough decision-making process was simply too time-consuming. Rolf, however, noted that somewhere nearby must be a prison barracks. Zhak added that that was most likely where their gear would be found. The collection of specialists split up and went down several different passageways. L1E squad stayed together down a hall that began directly in front of their cell. Following were three Vaikan scouts. Petir hugged the left wall and peered around a corner. There was no doubt in his mind that they had found. amazingly, a back entrance to the prison armory. The door was ajar and unguarded, save a small camera. Now that the group would have weapons, however, the camera meant nothing. Alarms blared as the seven men dashed into the room and grabbed their weaponry. When L1E found their rifles, they were amazed at how they were still fully loaded, and their extra clips sat on a table nearby.

But the most amazing thing was the small, capped vial filled with a murky blue liquid. Nobody could believe it. sitting on a locker was a sample of the biological agent that infected the DNA of the KKlxin. An infected Kklxin could not be cloned any futher.

"Alright, we better save this!" Rolf said happily.
The Vaikan and Eteno were making progress aboard Asylum. L1E and their Vaikan allies managed to reach a communication center after a long, hard fight through a maze of corridors.

"Let's try to radio for help. If we can get the location of this station out-" Petir said, before being abruptly cut off.

"Nice try, you thorns in my side! Unfortunately for you, we're cutting off all power for your level! The good news is that we'll be apprehending you and putting you back in your safe, warm cells! Goodbye, for now." An obnoxious Kklxin voice jeered over the speaker system.

Seconds after the speakers silenced, the lights and comm equipment went dead. The electronic doors at two sides of the rectangular room slowly began closing, and Rolf grabbed a metal box full of parts. He put it in between the wall and one of the doors, and beckoned for everyone to leave. Seven Vaikan and four Eteno rushed out of the room. Keeping vigilant and maintaining a steady pace, L1E took the lead.

"Either we gotta get off this floor, or find a power source." Toln spoke, breaking the silence.

"I concur. Perhaps there is a staircase nearby." One of the following Vaikan agreed.

The group continued on for around three minutes, until a dozen Kklxin soldiers came around a corner and opened fire on the escapees. Two of the Vaikan were killed, while the rest of the group took cover behind boxes and a wall. L1E fired blindly from their cover, their guns held above their heads horizontally. This spray of fire sent half of the Kklxin down on the ground dead, and the other half into cover. This pause allowed the Vaikan to rush the ill-prepared Kklxin troopers. They stabbed and slashed, and annihilated their assailants.

"Let's move on. You guys take the Kklxin's gear, we'll take point." Zhak said to his Vaikan comrades.

Deep below the oceans of Rew, a Kklxin admiral said, "Fellow clones, it appears that a group of Eteno and Vaikan have discoverd Asylum. However, we have yet to see reinforcements which means the rest of them have yet to discover our location. We cannot let this happen until the time is right!"

"What do you propose we do, admiral?" a Kklxin commander said.

"We need to bring Asylum down here. It cannot serve as a satellite any longer."

"Sir?"

"We managed to survive for millions of years in the Intergalactic Void aboard that structure. Certainly, we Kklxin aren't scared of water! How else how we have begun constructing our megatropolis down here?"

"You're right."

"Tell them to bring Asylum down here for a swim along with the fugitives inside."

"Right away, sir!"

Not long after, Asylum had begun to descend, going into the planet's atmosphere heading towards the ocean.
An electronic voice spoke as Asylum was descending towards Rew.

Petir replied, "That planet below is a giant swimming pool. That's where we are going."

Zhak said, "This can't be good. When...or rather...if reinforcements show up, we'll be out of sight."

Toln replied, "But there's gotta be another reason why we are taking a dip. They must have...no."

Petir asked, "What is it?"

Toln said, "I have to give credit to the Kklxin. They aren't dumb enough to submerge Asylum into some wild oceans. They must have built a facility down there. But when did they have the time do something like that?"

Petir replied, "It all makes sense now. The Kklxin have been launching their recent attacks to gather resources to build some new structures. This is going to be their new homeworld!"

Zhak irritatingly replied, "Well, gee. If all they wanted was a homeworld, they could have just asked. I mean seriously. Why go through all of the trouble of declaring war on us and nearly destroying the galaxy twice?! C'mon!"

Rolf said, "Look, there's no time to complain. We need to hurry up and find out what's disrupting our friends' telepathy. Even if reinforcements discover our coordinates, with this thing under the ocean, they will have no chance of finding us."

Petir said, "He's right. Once we take care of that, you Vaikan can probably send a message to the Garmatox or something. Let's go."
Each exhale was like the ticking of a time-bomb, reminding the trapped soldiers that at some point, the gas vital to their survival would be replaced entirely by Carbon. Emergency lights lining the floors of Asylum went out, one after one, flashlights quickly filling their former role.

"Liars, we're getting out.” Toln upstarted.

“We're completely submerged, bud. It's all over.” Petir retorted.

“No, you're wrong. We can still get out, but there will be... casualites.”

"I compared some data acquired here with the intelligence reports from the last week. They want to turn this... thing into some great structure, and they've been planning to establish a central command area for a great time now. It all makes sense, does it not?"

"He's right, Petir. There will be guards above us, but that's why there will be a casualty."

"Even if we escape, someone will die and the Kklxin will be able to pin it on that vial!” Petir pointed at the glass container resting on another table, beside a locked-down metal doorway."

It was the experimental agent meant to annihilate Kklxin clones. Stolen from an Eteno lab, the Kklxin hoped to both vaccinate their clones against the agent somehow, and pin the deaths of the Vaikan scouts and L1E squad on it, so as to spread doubt regarding its lethality to non-Kklxin.

"Then we bring the vial, and keep it off the volunteer."

"Ah..." Petir could produce no further retort. The plan had passed his stress test, whether he liked it or not.

"Then who volunteers?" A Vaikan standing next to Toln asked.

"I will go, brother." The scout leader from before spoke up.

Nods and thank-yous were directed towards him.

"Then... shall we begin?" Toln asked.

"Yeah, I got some radio equipment for calling command." Zhak replied.

"I have brought with me sufficient detonation devices for this endeavor.” One of the scouts added.

"Let's go, then.'

"Charges placed, stacking up!"

"Roger. Charges off in three! Two! One!"

A deep, loud thump erupted from the cluster of breach charges as if a monster had just rammed its head into the metal hull of Asylum. Flame briefly swirled around the gaping hole, before being replaced with gushing water.

"One, go!" Zhak commanded, turning his head away from the thousands of water droplets flying towards him.

From beside the blasted-open hull section, the Vaikan scout leader dove headfirst into the water, battling the force of the flood.

"Two, go!"

Toln, Petir, and seven Vaikan rushed from their position beside the breach, crashing into the gushing water as the salty liquid quickly rose in the Kklxin construction. Immediately as Zhak saw that group two had cleared the breach, he led Rolf and the remaining scouts out of Asylum.

"Kklxin water, don't drink this gentlemen!" He yelled.

As soon as he cleared the breach, the rest of his team followed. Zhak could make out faint figures below him as he rose. Good, everyone was out. According to the plan, their volunteer would distract any present guards, allowing the rest of the group to swim to safety. Once teams two and three rose near the surface of the water, they would surface for a quick breath, and move as quickly as possible away from Asylum and the Kklxin constructions around it. As Zhak saw the rapidly closing moonlit surface, he noticed a floating body about ten metres off. People that would sacrifice themselves like that were few and far between, and Zhak regretted never asking his name. However, this was not something to be concerned with at a time as desperate as this. He bobbed his head above the water for almost half a second, and immediately plunged back down five metres below the surface. Now, he would just kick, and breathe only when absolutely necessary. Just keep kicking and kicking, the others would take care of themselves. Kicking and kicking...

"You! Number fifty-nine! Almost there, kid!"

"Almost there, Zhak! It's as good as ours!"

"Cadet! You will NOT leave that wounded man to die"

"Move your ass, or I'll let you drown!"

"Your squad is at the top... how the hell did that happen?"

"I count seven... eight gun nests."

"We're under fire!"

"Rolda Two is down, Rolda Two is down!"

"I wouldn't leave you."

"He wouldn't leave you."

Zhak looked down. Toln was right. Rolf would never leave him. He hadn't left him. Rolf had dragged him out from under the overlapping fire of eight gun nests. He had used his last nanobot syringe to fix his shoulder. Now, he was out there in the middle of a moonlit ocean, either dead, captured, or just floating around. Lost. Hopeless.

The good of the operation, then the team, was always the focus. If you had to leave someone behind for the sake of the mission, you were expected to do it without a second thought. But this was different. The mission was no longer in peril. Why wouldn't he immediately go out for his comrade? Maybe it was too late for him. Maybe he would end up getting captured, and the Kklxin would just extract sensitive information from him. Maybe they would test bioweapons on him. But those weren't real concerns, and he wasn't a coward, so Zhak would leave. He would leave, and not return until he and Rolf were both dead, or Zhak had rescued him from the water or the Kklxin. Toln and Petir could radio command. They didn't need him for that.

Without even looking at the remaining Vaikan, or Toln and Petir, Zhak ran towards the water. He waded in to about neck height, and began swimming. Furious, furious swimming. More furious than in BCTS. More furious than in RUA training. More furious than the lake crossings at Detlef. It was a different kind of fury, too. He wasn't just pouring all of his energy into it. That wasn't a matter of importance at all, for Zhak had just unlocked a bottomless well of energy he had never been able to take advantage of before. This fury was that of a comrade. That of a brother.
On the horizon, the breathtaking purple sun slowly rose. With no time to bask in the wonder of the event, Zhak weighed the pros and cons of it as he swam. If Rolf was in the water somewhere, it would be much easier to spot him. However, if he had been captured, it would be much more of a challenge to infiltrate the floating Kklxin installations. But of course, it didn't matter. Zhak would search. He would search, and break into the Kklxin base. If anyone stood in his way, then Marana help them.

Later, Rorwin suddenly got a visual of the fast moving ship. None other than the Dragon Cruiser itself. "Impossible... What in Krayhan's name is he doing?!"

Zerif said, "Turn all nearby ships currently fighting the Kklxin on Rustiagon Karrel. I'm not putting up with this Eletar fodder anymore!"

"Master, are you sure of this?"

"Obviously, he's lost control of himself. He can't be reasoned with and he's already done too much damage."

The surprised Eteno strike fleet, while wary of conflict with the Vaikan, began to open fire on the Dragon Cruiser. It was quick and nimble, faster than most of the man-operated heavy gun batteries, but the highly-advanced targeting computers of the AF guns were more than capable of leading their target. One lucky shot managed to damage the ship's engine, causing the Dragon Cruiser and the possessed Karrel to move slower, allowing some of the non-automated Eteno and Vaikan guns to train on the fighter. High Admiral Czerske, predicting a quick victory, began sending out SAR ships loaded with medics and spacetroopers.

Grandmaster Zerif's ships fired upon Karrel while he was being forced to fire back.

"You are responsible for your father's death! If you hadn't got onto the Dragon Cruiser that day, he could have used an escape pod! But he put you first on the line."

"Enough! I can't handle this!"

"You killed thousands of Harbingers before they were actually tainted! Admit it. Your emotions are emerging! Unleash them! You are nothing more than a feral creature! Destroy all Vaikan and Eteno!"

Karrel, being overcome with anger and regret, fired missiles destroying the bridge of the Garmatox. Zerif, Rorwin and several others barely escaped, but it was not long after the Dragon Cruiser was finally disabled.

On the Garmatox, Zerif said, "That emotion-ridden monster no longer deserves to be king!"

"Sir?"

"Would you want your own leader to fire upon you like that for no reason!?"

"But what if-"

"He's already done too much damage! He has dishonored the Rustiagon family! I want him exiled!" Zerif bellowed.

Rorwin hesitantly obeyed. He ordered several Vaikan to take a shuttle craft to tow the Dragon Cruiser to the desert planet Alk'charis, a forsaken planet outside of the galaxy.
"We demand an explanation for this! Your king just caused millions in damage!"

"He's a disgrace, and we've exiled him!"

"That's fine, but who's paying for this?"

"I suppose we will..."

"Good... you go to one of our repair docks, we'll check out that anomaly ourselves."

The Eteno admiral cut the video feed, and his ships turned towards their original destination. While the Vaikan certainly had some more explaining to do, that would have to wait.

"Grandmaster? Are you alright?" Rorwin asked.

Zerif suddenly felt as if a burden of darkness just lifted off of him. "I'm not sure. My emotions became out of control. Was it really right to exile our lord?"

"Sir, I trust your judgement. After all, Grandmasters are only second to the king himself. You are a wise man."

"I understand that. But a wise man is always careful with his words. I've begun doubting what I told our king."

"I suggest we move on. You are our leader for now until Karrel has reconciled with himself."

"You're right. Any words from our Scouts?"

"I haven't been able to contact them. They are either dead or they have lost communications with us."

Karrel slowly opened his eyes laying upon a rocky outcrop. The sky was dark with the sound of thunder heard in the distance along with tornados upon the horizon. Infra had disappeared.

"No...what have I done? What did I do to deserve this?!"

Karrel wandered about the desert. The air was chilly with a strong breeze and the dark, overcast sky echoed with thunder. It was completely lifeless, yet the air was breathable.

"Infra!!!" Where are you?!" Karrel shouted. "Show yourself!" It was no use. Infra was gone. Karrel did not worry about dying in the desert because he had experiences surviving in such harsh environments as a child. It reminded him of when his father died and he was stranded on an ice planet.

After wandering about looking for shelter, he eventually came to a pit. The terrain was vaguely familiar. Memories of several years ago were recalled. He remembered a demon emerging from this spot. The terrible demon, Uszaroth. This planet would be forever scarred.

He looked down. He could see some cliffholds as well as some snapped chains. Then he looked in the horizon. A deadly sandstorm was approaching. However, as Karrel looked closer, he could see large sparks within it. It was a phenomenon called electrical fog. Dust clouds would pick up and cause the conditions for a thunderstorm. The cloud was starting to approach him, and if he could not find shelter, the storm could fry him alive.

Karrel looked about and did not see any other forms of shelter except the pit. Karrel was reluctant to enter such an evil place. As the storm drew closer, Karrel flapped his wings and hovered downwards using the chain as a guide. As he lowered himself, the electrical fog passed over him. It was dark, but he could still see the inside of the pit. Everything was monochrome from the darkness. The texture of the rock indeed looked as if Uszaroth had burst through the place. He could feel the lingering evilness of the place.

After going down at least half a kilometer, he had ended up inside an enormous cavern. He could barely see a bat-like creature flap about.

"Hmmm...so this planet isn't completely lifeless after all. Everything is underground." Karrel commented. He grabbed a torch from the pack he was given before his exile and he lit it. Around him, he could see what looked like an abandoned temple. Holding a torch to a wall, he saw several partially rotted Vaikan corpses which startled him.

He relit some torches on the walls revealing the area around him. A great arch was before him which was likely the frame for the portal Uszaroth came through. This was perhaps the most evil of all Vaikan constructs. A stone temple had been built to serve as a location to summon the demon lord himself.

Looking up, he could see the glow of light from the surface. The electric fog had yet to reach its height. He would be stuck here for a while.

"Well, since I'm down here, I might as well search for some clues. The Kklxin may have left something behind. I might be able to get my trust back if there is something related to Asylum here!"
Karrel slowly crept throughout the massive cavern, scanning his surroundings warily for anything that could be useful. Eventually, he heard the soft whirr of machinery, and then crumbling stone. The exile quietly slid his dagger out of its' leather sheath and looked around again, holding out his torch to help him find the source of the mysterious noise. It was a mech left behind during an earlier battle on the planet. It had been forgotten, yet it miraculously still worked.

"That... that's incredible information! If we could get that to the Coalition, we could deal those bastards a fantastic blow! But we'll be down here for a while, so is there anything here?"

"Sensors indicate large deposits of rock and ore."

"Something that I "don't know about." Karrel said, sighing.

"Unit 258609126 was field testing your organic sentient concept of sarcasm. If this unit has failed, please advise it so proper troubleshooting measures can be taken."

"No, mech, you demonstrated the concept perfectly." Karrel chuckled.

"Affirmative. Thank you for feedback."

"No problem... hey, you said that you are taking orders from me, correct?"

"Affirmative."

"So if I told you to destroy that Vaikan portal over there, you would comply?"

"That would depend on the current property status of the target and your rank."

"That portal once belonged to a rogue terrorist group. For this order, I doubt rank is an issue."

"Affirmative. Engaging supervised combat protocol now."

Karrel stepped back while Midge mech closed towards the gate. It then dug into the ground with its' pointed legs, gun barrels spinning. The Vaikan exile covered his ears as the three machine gun barrels came alive with fire. Karrel's ears were ringing despite the fact that he covered them, and was somewhat far away. In seconds, thousands of bullets had been fired, and the portal was a smoking heap. The mech ceased firing, and turned towards Karrel.

"Target eliminated. Awaiting further command."

"Can you get some data on the electrical fog?"

"Affirmative. Scanning... electrical fog has reached climax. Predict end of storm in two hours."

"Guh... two hours."

"Unit 258609126 pleased to report that the storm has subsided. The unit also detects Eteno on the surface. Please submit orders."

"Eteno, hmm... can we get out of this cavern?"

"Affirmative. This mech is capable of doing precision jumps to exit the cavern."

"Alright, would I be able to ride on your back?"

"Affirmative. Are you ready to leave the cavern?"

"Yes."

"Get onto the unit's back, and do not let go."

Karrel climbed onto the Midge, and held on to one of the heavy machine guns. The mech walked under the entrance to the cavern, and reared to jump. It leapt towards the pit wall, and grabbed on, claws digging into the dirt. Again, the mech leapt up and to the side. Karrel saw that it was doing a sort of wall jump to get out of the deep chasm. After about a minute of jumping, the two got out of the pit, and made their way towards the Eteno that the Midge detected.

A few scatted storms were still about. Winds were blowing everywhere. It was not long until he heard thunder again. Karrel, trying to evade the storm, picked up the pace. But, lightning struck the mech.

"Error! A problem has occurred and Main System has shut down to prevent damage to the core AI systems!"

"Do you still remember those coordinates, mech?" Karrel desperately asked.

"Error, unable to access."

"Well, then I best deliver the coordinates myself..." Karrel said

As it turned out, it was just a survey team guarded by a few soldiers and a tank. Karrel got off of the damaged walker, and walked towards the survey team which had already noticed him.

"Hello, friends. I'm a Master in the Federal Legion, may I speak to the highest ranking soldier here?"

"That'd be Captain Konig. He's sitting on the tank over there." One of the digging Eteno replied, looking up from his work to reveal a very dusty and tired face.

Karrel nodded, and walked towards said tank. The tankman sitting on the side of it, after taking notice of the Vaikan, jumped off and waited for Karrel to get to him.

"What brings you to the corner of desolate and nowhere, friend?"

"Come closer, I need to whisper."

"Wha? What is it?" Konig drew closer.

"I'm King Rustiagon Karrel. You probably know I was exiled, but I have vital information about the Kklxin. I need to get off this planet, and to my people."

"Well, I can see how that would be hard for you. Call me Konrad, sir. I'll help you out."

"Thank you Konrad. What can you do?"

"I have leave time in a day, and a certain casino boss owes me a favor. I could take you there, and maybe get you a ship."

"I trust that this man isn't a criminal?"

"Oh, he almost certainly is, but nobody ever finds evidence of the supposed illegal transactions that take place in his casino. He also pays his taxes on time, so the government doesn't really mind him. A transport will pick us up in three hours. After that, the whole ship we're from is on leave. We'll get back to civilized space, and we can catch a shuttle to the casino."

"I'll put myself to good use here in the meantime."

Three hours passed quickly, and the transport indeed picked up Karrel, Konrad Konig, and the rest of the survey team. They were brought to a cruiser, which promptly left towards the Berewitz system. At a shipyard in the system, the cruiser docked, and the crew left. Konrad and Karrel went to Allschwinz Casino with a friend of Konrad that had his own ship there and was going by the casino, by chance. They were dropped off at the passenger dock of the huge free-flying space station placed against a vast nebula. Konrad led Karrel deep into the casino as he explained the place to him.

"Allschwinz was originally a battleship slated for destruction, but the owner here bought it and towed it here to be a casino. It was a great idea. Beautiful location, great areas to experiment with, the like. I think I actually once saw a card table in an old torpedo bay. Anyways, the casino expanded with its' popularity, and the battleship itself is now just the VIP club. Fortunately, I'm a permanent member."

"How come?"

"Well, it's because of what I did to get a favor or two from the boss here. You'll find out what it was soon enough."

"Ok."

The duo finally made it through the whole casino, to be met with an iron blast door saying MANAGEMENT guarded by armed men. Konrad told the guards a few things that Karrel couldn't hear, and the two armed men let them in. They walked down an immaculately cleaned white hallway, leading to an entirely glass office with an incredible view of the nebula. At the only desk in the room sat a roughly 35 year-old Eteno smoking a cigar, flanked by two heavily armed and armored guards.

"Hello, Brenzig." Konrad said casually to the boss.

"Ah, if it isn't my friend Konrad. Take a seat, and tell me who your companion here is."

"He's a Vaikan that needs help."

"I see. What is your name, Vaikan?"

"King Rustiagon Karrel."

"Oh my! A king! My, my boys, it seems we have quite the visitor. What brings you to these seedy, unkind parts?"

"I was cast out wrongly and I need to get vital information to my people. However, since I'm supposed to be banished to a world outside this galaxy, it'll be difficult to do so."

"I see. You're lucky that Konrad here is the one helping you. I owe him, after all, he saved my nephew from a house fire. I always make sure to help those who help me. So, Vaikan, you need a ship and possibly a trained smuggler to get you back to your place of business?"

"That is correct, I suppose."

"Done. Rudolf, get it done."

"Yessir."

The burly guard left the room, and the boss Brenzig turned his attention back to the two people sitting in front of his desk.

"That will be arranged for you. For now, feel free to fool around in the casino while you wait. If you're lucky, a couple Grums could become millions."

"Thank you very much. If you don't mind, can I ask you a few questions?" Karrel asked inquisitively.

"Of course, your highness."

"Are there criminal elements here?"

"Of course. I'm the biggest one of them all! But there's never any physical crime."

"Don't you think it's dangerous to just tell people that?"

"I know you have no recording devices because you were scanned as you walked in, and I also know that if you tried to bring me to court, my money and my employees would make life hard for you, no matter how great a position of power you hold."

"I see. What keeps the police from this place?"

"I pay my taxes, and I never leave evidence."

"Alright then. But what about when you said there's never any physical crime? What do you mean?"

"Simply robbing people on the street is barbaric and ignorant, your highness. You may get 150 Grums out of it, but the police will arrest you. Up here, in the tower made of success, the subtle manipulation of great power can make you wildly rich, and mostly, nobody is harmed in the process."

"Well, I may not be comfortable with that, but you seem to be more-or-less reasonable. Thank you for your help."

"Oh, it was my pleasure. I was simply repaying my debt to my friend, and a smart man never lets his debts accumulate interest."
After buying several chips, Karrel went to a nearby game where some Eteno were playing a game of Grumjack.

"May I join?" Karrel asked.

"Sure, you know how to play, right?" an Eteno asked.

"Well, actually, I've never gambled before."

"You're a king and you've never gambled before?! You're joking, right?"

"Well, I just never got into it. But aside from that, I'm sure I can easily figure this game out."

"Well, newbie, here's what you do." The Eteno explained the ruled to the game. Karrel followed quite easily.

The first round began. Another Eteno shuffled the deck and handed out the cards. Karrel laid down his hand.

"Whoah, nice one!" the Eteno said. "Beginner's luck I suppose?"

Karrel replied, "I don't know. Anyway, how about a few more rounds before I leave?"

As Karrel's Grumjack friends set up another round, three Eteno and one Kklxin with grey suits and dark glasses surrounded him, and rapidly herded him out of the room.

"What... what do you think you're doing!?"

"The IPF knows you're here. Officers are combing the casino. We're leaving before more arrive." The Kklxin said in flawless Yallvus Talk.

"Do you work for Brenzig?"

"Yes. He sent us and three others to get you and Konrad. We're taking you to the hangar where our employer readied one of his fastest ships. "

"He seems to be going out of his way... maybe he realizes the full gravity of my situation."

"He does... move! Quickly!"

Six IPF officers noticed the Vaikan king as he was headed towards a hangar entrance, mostly surrounded by the men in suits.

"Look! There he is! Get down on the ground!" One of the officers yelled.

The police ran towards the group as the men in suits cooly drew SMGs from the insides of their suits. They laid down suppressing fire, while Konrad and three more Eteno in suits met up with Karrel and his entourage. The Kklxin member of Karrel's protectors had begun readying the ship as the gunfight began. After half-a-minute of fighting, the Kklxin called to his six co-workers, as well as Konrad and Karrel.

"The ship is readied. Come."

The last eight Eteno and Vaikan raced onto the sleek shuttle as the hangar airlock began to open.

"We'll head into the nebula, and head to Ucharpli from there. We should be able to throw off the police in said nebula."

"That's all fine and good, but what do we do when we get there?" Konrad asked loudly.

"I know a back entrance into Castle Hall that's usually lightly defended. We can get in through there, and make a dash towards the computer mainframe. I can get that information out as well as a plea to get accepted back into my kingdom."

The trip took about half and hour. Ucharpli was quite the distance from Eteno territory, but technology has since improved since Karrel first encountered the Eteno. During the trip, Karrel asked the Kklxin, "So, why are you on our side?"

The Kklxin replied, "My name is Izerg and I no longer associate myself with them."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it all started a few decades ago. We Kklxin were all aboard Asylum looking for a new planet to settle on. Soon enough, most of us got impatient and wanted to steal resources from other empires. Hence, why the Kklxin are at war with you. However, others such as myself saw such an act as dishonorable. We did not want to repeat the same mistake we made when our own galaxy was destroyed. So, those who wanted to live honorably decided leave and go about their own ways. Since this Galactic Senate is attempting to fight off the Kklxin, I figured I would join as well and show them what war is supposed to be like though I'm remaining discrete for the time being. I doubt anyone else would really trust me."

"Wow. I can't imagine that. You must have felt so betrayed."

"Indeed. I intend to wipe those scum from the galaxy and rebuild our society living a code of honor."

"Well, I really hope we can settle this out quickly. This war is reaching it's climax. It's too bad we can never settle this diplomatically."

"Well, anyway, we are almost at Ucharpli. Now, get down there and send your message."

Their ship entered the atmosphere of Ucharpli. Karrel donned a cloak so that he would not be recognized immediately. The Eteno, Karrel and the KKlxin disembarked inside a forest within Inner Yallvus. They could see the Castle Hall peering from the horizon.

Konrad asked, "So, just how exactly are you going to do this?"

Karrel replied confidently, "I became king for a reason, did I not? I know the entire city of Yallvus inside and out. Our best bet is to get the top of the Castle Hall, where a mainframe computer sits. It acts as a giant telepathic amplifier. With it, I can send information virtually anywhere in the galaxy instantaneously."

Through the woods, they trekked. The rest of the Eteno and the Kklxin had never been to Ucharpli before. They looked around at the reptilian creatures scurrying about. Some Dugzard lizards, (ones that had only two frontal legs) burrowed their way into the ground upon seeing the group of aliens. The planet was much unlike Malisk II.

Soon enough, they arrived at the Castle Hall. They saw two armored guards with halberds guarding what seemed to be a back door to a rather small metallic building.

Karrel explained, "That building over there has a trapdoor inside that leads to some underground tunnels that go straight into the Castle Hall. All we need to do is get past those guards somehow. Izerg, you should rejoin me once I deal with the guards. If a passerby spots you, the city's alarm could be set off."

Izerg said, "Well, guess you are right. I have no intention of making a scene here."

"Well, the guards are covered in laser-deflecting armor so tapping pressure points won't work. Mind tricks won't work either, nor will any sort of stun gun, so I'll use a weakened version of Beast of Tralgatar on them."

Konrad said, "Beast of Tralgatar? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Trust me. Skilled fighters know how to control the move's intensity. I'll just heat up the armor only to the point where they pass out."

Karrel slowly approached the two guards. He began to absorb solar energy on his scales to charge up the move. As he explained, he didn't charge up too much energy as he had no intention to boil these guards alive.

Karrel appeared at the two guards. Both of them, who had already been informed of his exile, raised their halberds towards him.

"Halt! State your business here, dishonorable!"

Karrel replied, "Forgive me for what I'm about to do." He quickly placed both of his hands on each of the guards'. Their armor heated up to the point where both of them passed out. He stepped to the door and picked the lock.

"Not bad," Izerg said. Konrad and the others followed behind Karrel. They crept into a dark passageway that led them several hundred feet downwards, leading to the bottom-most part of the Castle Hall. It was a large circular chamber. It was almost completely dark as the torches had gone out. A Vaikan statue could be seen in the center. The place was even deeper than Tomb of Kings.

Karrel said, "Welcome to the Sacred Catacombs. The terminal is at the very top floor of the Castle Hall."

Konrad sighed, "I hope there's elevators."

Karrel said, "Well...there aren't. This place was built many thousands of years ago. We didn't want to damage the original building."

Izerg commented, "Hmph. Well at least you guys have something historic. We Kklxin got nothing."

"Oh and also, some pesky little Gorayas crawling about. They are like flying mammals with sharp teeth and can give quite the nasty bite, so don't shine your light on them. You'll only attract their attention."

Konrad said, "Well, let's get going."

They each had their flashlights on and began ascending a set of spiral stairs built of wood that went around the perimeter of the room. There were no railings either, so they watched their step. One Eteno stepped on a rotten plank of wood which broke and plummeted to the bottom. He managed to recover.

The group continued following Karrel as they navigated through labryinths and winding halls. They had been walking for at least twenty minutes.

"No wonder this place isn't well guarded. It's a freaking maze!" Konrad said. Then, they heard some fluttering. "What was-" He shined his light on a nest of Gorayas.

Karrel said, "Don't shine your light on them!"

The Gorayas' eyes glowed red. They had entered predator mode and immediately began swarming them. Karrel drew his swords and the rest drew their guns. Karrel hacked away at the swarming flying creatures. Izerd and Konrad managed to one-hit many of them.

Konrad said, "There's too many of them!"

Karrel said, "Let's keep going!"

They rushed through the Sacred Catacombs as fast as they could. Fortunately, they came to the end of a hallway with a wooden door. They quickly went through and shut it behind them.

Eventually, they kept ascending, getting to the main floors of the Castle Hall. They still remained in the behind the scenes areas of course. The walls changed from stone brick to being metal with pipes. Eventually after another twenty minutes, they came to the top. All of them were panting. Then, up ahead, Karrel came to a large room with giant pipes across the ceiling. A giant mainframe lay in the center about 300 feet away.

Karrel quickly rushed towards the terminal, but a dark, cloudy figure appeared in front of him. It manifested itself into a Vaikan with white long hair and demonic armor.

"Not so fast, boy. Why would I ever let you redeem yourself by transferring those coordinates?"

"Infra!" Karrel yelled. "You are going to pay for what you did to the kingdom!"

"Pay? I don't need to pay. You can try if you'd like."

Izerg said, "Who's this guy?"

Karrel said, "This evil man is responsible for my actions. He possessed me into attacking both the Eteno and the Vaikan."

"Ah...I know who you are, Izerg. How does it feel for every one of your race to be against you? You must be a lonely man."

It was not long until Konrad collapsed to the ground, unable to breathe. His shock and horror turning to anger, Izerg threw his gun to the ground. "DAMN YOU, INFRAAAAA!!!!!"

Soon enough, Rarsan had appeared after sensing his despair.

"Karrel!" Rarsan said. Izerg pointed his gun at Rarsan, but Karrel quickly assured him that he was a friend. Rarsan eyed Infra.

"Traitor!" Infra said. "How dare you show yourself to me!"

"For a good reason!" Rarsan yelled back. "When I found out why you released Uszaroth, I decided I would not work for a power hungry maniac."

Karrel replied, "What?! What are you talking about, Rarsan?"

"Are you wondering how this evil man is becoming so powerful? It has to be coming from somewhere. You see, when Uszaroth was banished he ended up right where Infra's headquarters are."

Infra said, "Silence, fool! Your mouth is too chattery. It's time that I put an end to you.

Rarsan drew his sword and Infra drew his. They began to battle it out one on one. Since Infra was being held up by Rarsan, Karrel quickly made a run for it. Izerg stayed in place watching the events unfold. Karrel drew the datacard he had with the coordinates and shoved it into the mainframe. It immediately sent the signal.

Infra said, "I must admit. I got too distracted talking to you, but at least what's done is done." Rarsan teleported over to Karrel who was covered in burns. Although he staggered, Karrel was able to stand. However, Infra teleported as well and drove his polearm through Karrel's chest.

"Noo!" Rarsan shouted.

Infra eyed Karrel. "Pathetic. You actually tried to get to the mainframe to transfer that data?"

"I did. And it worked." Karrel stumbled and collapsed to the ground.

Infra cursed, "No! How dare you. How dare you die a hero! HOW DARE YOU! Rarsan, I wish I could kill you now, but I have business to attend to." Prompty, Infra teleported away. Rarsan was lucky to have survived. Infra did not kill him because Infra knew that Rarsan was resistance to his attacks. Ever since Uszaroth was released, Rarsan trained himself so that he could not be killed by Infra, at least for the time being.

A beeping sound came from the control panel. "Message received from Ucharpli." Zerif said, "Replay message."

About one second later, and image of Karrel along with Izerg and Konrad in the room before the terminal appeared on screen. "Hold on, Izerg and Konrad. Let me record this message to send as well." They both nodded. "Alright, if you are watching this, then I am probably dead. I sincerely apologize for whatever damaged I caused. A most vile being of evil had possessed me and is likely to return the moment I send this message. This being, Altus Infra, is stronger than any mortal being that I know of and I am unlikely to escape from this alive, so to redeem my actions one last time, what follows are the coordinates to what I believe is the Kklxin homeworld: 392.621S 556.089W. At this point, I do not care of my fate. I can understand if you still do not forgive me. What matters is that you receive these coordinates and that many Vaikan and Eteno lives are not wasted. Farewell." The message stopped.

Several seconds later, Zerif along with everyone aboard the ship was overcome with a feeling that one of their kind had just passed away. No doubt it was Karrel. Everyone on the bridge stood up from their seats and bowed their heads without saying anything. Some began shedding some tears.

Zerif began, "He died honorably. He shall join the rest of the fallen warriors at Himinngarde. But King Karrel's death will not be in vain. Rorwin, enter those coordinates. We're finding out what's out there."

Rorwin replied, "Yes, Grandmaster." Rorwin opened an intercom to all ships in the fleet. "Men, we cannot doubt that we will be met with large armadas of Kklxin. Some of us will not be going home tonight, but that won't stop us from winning. We've fought these foul creatures for far too long. It is time we stand up against the attack of Asylum."

Rorwin typed in the coordinates on a keypad, and pulled a lever. Space began to distort, and the Garmatox disappeared into thin air, bending space and headed straight for the coordinates. After about ten minutes, the Garmatox and the rest of the Vaikan fleet appeared in a distant orbit of a water planet.

One of the Vaikan on the bridge said, "What is that planet? I've never seen it before."

Rorwin replied, "It's not on any of our star charts. We're in an unexplored area." After a few minutes, some scans were taken. "Interesting. It seems that there's some sort of large metallic object nearby, but the signal readings are getting weaker and weaker. What's going on?"

On screen appeared a Kklxin general. "You sneaky little Vaikan! How did you find us?"

Zerif replied, "Oh, so this really is your central base? About time you got one."

"What?! N...no. What are you talking about?"

"You cannot lie to a Vaikan."

The Kklxin turned from surprise to a smirk. "Heh heh heh. Welcome to Rew, our new home. By the way, we haven't finished gathering resources yet. We're gonna need a whole lot of it, and it's gonna be from you guys and those puny little midgets."

Zerif replied confidently, "We'll see about that."

"Eh...enough talk." The general turned to some other Kklxin. "Deploy all units! CHAAAAAAARGE!" That instant, thousands of Kklxin warships appeared, vastly outnumbering the Vaikan fleet.

Zerif looked at the size of the armade in complete awe. Never had they battled against such a large Kklxin fleet. However, it was not enough to reduce his morale. "Alright, men. To your battle stations. We're gonna break through that fleet!"
Zerif's fleet went charging into the masses of Kklxin ships, blasting away. Most of the Kklxin ships were destroyed in one shot, but that did not stop them from pelting the Vaikan fleet with arrays of missiles of lasers. Left and right, the crew aboard the Garmatox were watching as their fellow ships burst into flames.

The Garmatox rocked violently after being hit with a large homing missile setting off the alarm.

"Sir! Several casualties in area 6," one of the Vaikan at the bridge shouted.

Rorwin replied, "We've got to clear the way. We need to make an opening so that we can flank them."

"Yes sir!"

Another Vaikan commented, "Good Krayhan, I've never seen a Kklxin armada this big in my life."

"They are definitely right about this being a major base of operations."

A rapid, high pitched alarm went off. "DANGER! Kklxin ships spotted from the stern!"

"We're surrounded!" shouted a gunner as he was watching swarms of Kklxin approach. More Vaikan ships were going up into flames. "We need reinforcements!"

Rorwin said, "Hold on a little longer! Not until we reach orbital distance of the planet!"

Several more minutes went by as the Vaikan fleet was continuously pelted. One of the engines of the Garmatox set fire. They were completely surrounded by Kklxin ships. The blue planet grew larger as they got closer.

"Sir, we are completely surrounded."

"Just hold on a little longer. We're almost there."

Pelting of missiles continued.

Rorwin waited. Then, he said, "Ready? Now!" A Vaikan pressed a button sending bombs in every single direction. It also sent a signal to nearby Vaikan and Eteno ships waiting outside the system. Thousands of ships from both empires appeared from warpspace, flanking the Kklxin and drawing fire away from Zerif's fleet. "Go! Go! Go!" Several more reinforcement fleets also followed Zerif's through the path they cleared.

The Garmatox and the few remaining ships entered the planet's atmosphere. They drew closer to the surface, passing through the clouds and saw a vast oceanscape. They soon intercepted several signals. One of them seemed to be a distress signal, which Zerif immediately opened up.

Rorwin said, "The scouts! They're still alive! And they are down there with some RUA squad members!"

Not long after, several large metropilitan buildings covered in turrets began emerging from the ocean and immediately begun firing upon Zerif's fleet.

Rorwin shouted, "It's an ambush! All ships, rise altitude!"

"Rorwin, send some supplies to the scouts. I don't know what sort of hell they've been through since they discovered this planet. They could really use it."

It would be a lie to say there was excitement in the packed quarters of the soldiers. Just a regular announcement. More than likely, it was just an alert that the transport fleet was closer to the Vaikan/Eteno ambush force at that planet called Rew.

Perhaps, then, some men and women were excited. Soon, they'd be off of the cramped ship. Soon, they'd be breathing fresh air. Soon, they'd be fighting. Soon, Captain Martin Martinov would have to face a Vaikan he had only heard of. His name was Rarsan, and he was a legend.

Not exactly in a good way, mind you. Rarsan was the other kind of legend. Artillerymen, firemen, snipers, whoever they were, they had heard the stories of the pardoned murderer of Eteno on Malisk II. That was the reason Martinov dreaded deployment onto Rew. He had only two options: be rude to him, and face his and command's wrath, or be nice to him, and take the heat from his own soldiers. Martinov had, for a while after hearing of his assigned temporary unit member, considered the first option. However, a talk with Major Srecko convinced him to transition to option two. Be nice.

"This is Lance General Jankovich, to all personnel. We are two hours from the target, and we shall deploy an hour after we arrive. All bulkheads will be locked down as per procedure, so if you have any business, wrap it up now. That is all."

Not much of an announcement, but, Martinov did have something to do. He rose from his chair, surrounded by sleeping soldiers, and carefully stepped towards the open door leading into a metal corridor. Martinov scanned the doors as he walked by, looking for the quartering of his special unit member. Ah. 4th Platoon. The door was open, and Martinov saw the Vaikan in deep thought at a metal table extending from the wall. Martinov carefully stepped towards him, making sure not to wake anybody.

" Rarsan, I need to be quick."

Rarsan jumped, but calmed himself quickly before replying.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Once we arrive, we're going down to the hangar bays to board a jet. It will have the whole Regiment and it's vehicles loaded up. Jet's going to drop the Battalion on the medium-sized continent on the far side of Rew."

"With the vehicles?"

"Yes. I think I hear some of the bulkheads closing, I have to go."

Rarsan continued, "Ah yes, one more thing before you leave. One of my friends was going to come along as well. He was with me when the king...well...you know."

"Yes."

Rarsan snapped his fingers and Izerg appeared out of thin air. Martinov immediately pointed his gun at the Kklxin, but Izerg assured them.

Izerg replied, "Not all of us are against you. I'm among those who believe the Kklxin don't need to conquer others to find a new home. We are few in number, but we are out there. I want to fight as them as much as you guys."

Martinov said, "Rarsan, I'm still unsure of this friend of yours. Keep an eye on him. I'll be off."

Rarsan said, "If it assures you, then I will. See you guys on the surface." Izerg and Rarsan vanished into dark clouds and reappeared on the surface. In the distance, they could already see Vaikan and Eteno ships closing and firing upon tall metallic towers which fired back. They speedily made their way towards the action trying to remain hidden.

Izerg said to Rarsan, "Rarsan, may I make a request?"

Rarsan replied, "Make it quick. We're in a war zone."

"I want to have the same powers as you. You know...using your emotions."

"It's dangerous. You may lose control of yourself and you might become nothing more than one of Infra's thralls."

"I know, but after I saw what Infra did to Konrad, I need revenge. And you saw what he did to Karrel."

Rarsan stopped and clenched his forehead in subtle anger, experiencing the same hatred towards Infra. "Fine. We shall do the ritual. Get blood from three of your relatives and speak the incantation in Forbidden Talk."

"Blood from three relatives. Well, we're up against all of my relatives in this battle so that's easy. And this Forbidden Talk?"

"It's painful to recite the words. Your ears will bleed as you speak it."

Izerg replied with a small degree of confidence. "I've experienced far worse pain."

Rarsan looked at him. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's kill three Kklxin, shall we?

"After that, how about a bit more?"

"Liberty has expired for all hands! You need to be at your designated ready position at this time!" Major Duerr's coarse voice boomed over the ship's announcement systems.

This was... unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. Even for an empire with so many soldiers, how much the Eteno really packed into these transports was just staggering. Rows upon rows of space-worthy transport jets sat waiting for their cargo as Battalion-sized squares of infantry and their vehicles assembled at the rear of their mighty doors. It was like an intricate ballet, with streams of soldiers and vehicles moving every-which-way through the cramped deck, but never intersecting. Some formations would come within inches of each other, before one would stop, allowing the other group to pass, before moving on themselves.

All at once, a chorus of hisses reverberated throughout the deck. Cargo doors lowered down gingerly, before unceremoniously clanging against the deck at the last few feet of drop. In almost perfect sync, squares of infantry and vehicles marched aboard, clearing the once-cramped deck in a matter of minutes. Martinov hastily lead his mean aboard their jet.

The interior of the jet was utilitarian, just like all of the nearly 50,000 Eteno and Vaikan ships in that one massive strike group. It had been a short battle, with the "bait" Vaikan fleet drawing the last great Kklxin naval force into battle before the primary coalition attack group arrived and brought their guns to bear. It was so far just a rumor, but it was being passed around that one Eteno fleet of seventeen escort carriers and thirty destroyers came all the way from the Harbingerlands. About that many ships would be destroyed on each side in under a minute of fighting.

Seats were closely packed against the side of the jet, with nearly half stacked up on an entirely different level. Yes, the jet had two floors just to house everything. A ramp extended from the top floor to allow vehicles up directly from the main cargo door (that now served as a ramp), while steep staircases near the front of the jet were the only passageways up for the infantry. That, however, would not be their method of exit. Martinov's nose was only a few feet away from an Eteno Lightning ICV at the front of the jet. As a mechanized officer, he was expected to be an expert on Eteno vehicles and thus, from the design of the ICV's rear bay, he conjectured that it was carrying rockets. This would do well in blowing up Kklxin.

Martinov heard a mechanical whirr. He leaned to the right. The cargo door was rapidly being raised, as the hangar shield at the far end of the deck separating the black, coldness of space began to fizzle out. Just as the door joyously slammed against the fuselage, the cargo jet rocked.

"Attention passengers, this is your pilot speaking, we will be unhooking from the deck momentarily. Please, sit back and enjoy our in-flight movie, an ass-ton of nothing." It was a young, Maliskian voice. The pilot was probably no older than twenty.

Perhaps that was the main reason the Federal Legion had not steamrolled over the Eteno as they did all other races that their commandments ordered them to destroy. In a third of the time it took to make a teenage Vaikan, an adult Eteno could be made. There were countless Eteno. It was, without a doubt, much better to be allies. Neither nation would be forced to stress their advantages and cover up their disadvantages.

That was when the full weight of what was about to happen hit Martinov, hit everyone in the jet. Of course, the Eteno had gone through drills, but even the most seasoned veterans were in awe at the sheer scale of the attack. Below the jet was an impenetrable layer of clouds, shielding the Kklxin below from the beautiful purplish-blue sky now riddled with black splotches. Through their small windows and the open cargo door, a gargantuan fleet of Vaikan transports and Eteno jets filled the sky, weaving back and forth as they dodged Kklxin flak. From the comparatively-puny HV-17 armed with torpedoes, or filled with soldiers, to the awe-inspiring C-10, to the imposing Dragon Flagship, one of the most varied and immense air fleets sat at the precipice of chaos.

It was time. Martinov wasted no time in unhooking the two vehicles closest to him from the jet, throwing their chains to the infantry passengers sitting against the side of the fuselage.

A soldier yelled from the front, "Vehicles clear!"

"Chocks on!" Soon followed.

"Move chocks!" Martinov commanded.

"Clear!" The same soldier yelled back.

"Go, go, go!" Martinov yelled from the front of the craft.

All at once, a stream of vehicles three abreast fell from the jet, out of the cargo bay. In the windowed vehicles, drivers braced themselves for the opening. As soon as the first stream stopped, the second, from the top floor, began. This was mostly tanks, Emperors and Conquerors. Just like the last stream, it stopped in less than half a minute. In the distance, Martinov could see vehicles plunging from other aircraft, and the sudden deployment of their parachutes as they hit the cloud layer. Cheers quickly erupted from the jet's passengers, but were quickly silenced when the Kklxin AAA picked up. Now, the sky was almost totally full of parachutes, aircraft, and explosions.

The jet rocked. Through the window to his right, Martinov saw a thick stream of smoke flowing from one of the four jet engines. The aircraft listed ever so slightly before righting itself, giving its passengers a jolt. The cargo door began to close, and a yellow light bathed both floors of the bay.

"Yellow light!"

"Stand up!"

Martinov raised both of his fists above his head as an additional signal. Sergeants at the front pulled open sliding passenger doors as over 500 Eteno soldiers rose on both decks. On either side of the bay, the front-most soldier left their position in front of their seat, and moved into the doorway closest to them, leaning out to get a good look at the flak-filled sky. While the Eteno passengers eagerly awaited the green light, doing final checks of their equipment.

"Red light!"

"Jump!"

Thousands of Eteno ships had begin charging through the path the Garmatox had cleared out. Soon, an all out battle had been raging across the entirety of Rew. Underwater turrets had begun rising up and gunning down a few ships, though they were quickly destroyed. The Kklxin armada that was in orbit turned around and joined the battle towards the planet's surface.

After passing through a few waves of Kklxin squadrons, Rarsan and Izerg eventually found themselves to the top of a large pillar-shaped boulder watching the Vaikan and Eteno ships fire upon the Kklxin. Victory was soon to be imminent.

Izerg had gathered the blood he needed. With Rarsan's help, he drew a circle with inscribed symbols on the top of the pillar-rock. He then prepared himself to say the forbidden words. Rarsan plugged his ears and watched Izerg's mouth move while blood began trickling from the sides of his face. To test if the ritual worked, Izerg attempted to slit his wrist, but it simply passed through him. The two nodded their heads and teleported back into battle, Izerg using his newfound powers.

As the battle raged on and piles of Kklxin bodies began to accumulate, the sky turned dark with black clouds. From an opening in the sky descended Infra himself as he landed on a tall metallic spire protruding from the ocean, the highest point in the battlefield. Infra spoke out loud:

"What ignorant fools these Kklxin are. They send themselves to their death. How about let's...even things up a bit?" All at once, the enemy Kklxin gained glowing red eyes and had boosted reaction times. The Vaikan soldiers could no longer land hits on the Kklxin with their swords and the Eteno continuously missed with their guns. Infra was taking direct control over the Kklxin

Rarsan shouted out to the cloud, "Coward! Come down here and fight for yourself!"

From aboard the Garmatox, Rorwin exclaimed, "What in Athen is going on?! The Kklxin..."

Zerif was equally puzzled. He spotted the dark cloud on the radar. "They've gotten suddenly stronger somehow! This is what Karrel was warning us about. Infra!"

"Ah, dammit!" Martinov threw down his radio in disgust, and returned his attention to the ninja-like Kklxin infantrymen charging the trench.

All along the lines of entrenched infantry, streams of hot lead and laser fire failed to hit their marks, who had attained some sort of metaphysical premonition skill, allowing them to dodge whatever came at them. Anything less than a relentless barrage of fire in a single, small space was bound to hit absolutely nothing. From reports over the radios, this new development was not endemic to Martinov's location. Between ninja Kklxin and a talking demon cloud, many young Eteno soldiers found themselves wondering if they had been tripping on Sarga.

At this moment, Martinov derived no enjoyment from the heavy kick of the MG404 impacting his armoured chest. It was in desperation that he fired the weapon's heavy AP rounds in a blind arc in an attempt to randomly hit something. A stray cartridge from another soldier's weapon a mere few feet away landed between his loosened combat goggles and his eye, searing the vulnerable flesh of his eye and eyelid. That's when a Kklxin broke through the barrage of fire and threw himself against the Eteno officer.

---

"...as you can see here, the 2,373rd is gone, and its two support formations on either side have been encircled. Kklxin are pouring through that gap, and our reserves are thinning at an alarming rate. Your three Divisions need to maneuver in to close that gap, and I mean now!" Jankovich yelled to the Lieutenant General sitting across from him. This elicited little reaction from the other officers, absorbed in their own tactical discussions.

"Jankovich...", Brusla rested his head in the sanctuary of his palms, "the 957th and 205th Armies no longer... exist."

"Sir, if you can't..."

"That gap will widen, yes. Officers on-site will order tactical withdrawals, and the whole line will move back, organised or not."

"What of the artillery batteries here and here?" Jankovich gestured to the two artillery-shell symbols resting on a holographic hill far from the rapidly-moving front line.

"Air cover is tied up, and we have reports of hostile bombers moving in. Those guns may have enough time for three or four salvoes before they have to scatter. Because of what's been happening, the Supreme Commander himself has issued an executive order to deploy an A-Man."

Jankovich leaned in closer. "What bombers do you expect to deliver that ordnance through the skies that we do not influence? The only viable targets are-"

"The only viable targets are the ones that must be hit, regardless of the cost. We don't expect those squadrons to return."

"W-wait... squadrons? Sir, we are deploying multiple bombs, is that it?"

"In formation. All along the rear Kklxin line in such a way that the detonation will not harm our Divisional formations. At least, the ones still with their mother units."

"There are other methods we can attempt. Carpet bombing followed by orbital strikes and artillery barrages could-"

"It doesn't matter. The order has been sent down the chain. Ground crews are loading the armed weapons."

"I will not allow my Division to be destroyed, sir."

"Then tell them to haul ass out of their encirclement. Only a miracle will stop the attack."

"Or hostile aircraft."

"The failsafes are to be disabled, according to the Air Force attache. If they crash, they're taking everything down with them."
It would not have been a stretch to say that that Izerg and Rarsan formed the core of the Eteno formation. Even with the Kklxin's newfound advantage, the pair's metaphysical capabilities more than made up the difference. The two formed something of a small spear, with infantry following close behind in the thickly wooded sector. With Izerg and Rarsan continually pushing through the Kklxin's now flimsy-looking formations, Eteno would flood into the corridors created and encircle the Kklxin stragglers.

As Rarsan effortlessly cut through three more Kklxin before him, an Eteno hurriedly made his way to his side, leaning forward and covering his head with his right hand. A clunky-looking backpack bounced up and down with his each step.

"Gauzen! Gauzen! Selvet, kaus!" He yelled between quick, shallow breaths. Without a translator, his speech was little more than gibberish to Rarsan. "Ovor..." He muttered, reaching into one of his vest's pockets for a translator.

"He wants you to listen to him, he says it's important." Izerg managed out to Rarsan between the impaling of multiple Kklxin with some sort of ethereal sword.

"I apologize, sir. I have information from command! Nuclear armament is now authorized! We must halt our advance to the 1,066th!"

"Does that mean... No, we're recovering the unit!"

"Sir, I am simply an infantryman, there's nothing I can do. That Vaikan up there cannot be destroyed with physical means."
The Eteno pointed up at the billowing clouds far up in the atmosphere. "There is nothing else to be done."

"But... Infra...Soldier, I need you to get me the highest-ranking officer on the line possible! Perhaps we can destroy him, or ward him away to say the very least..."

"How?" The Eteno asked as he knelt down and removed his radio pack.

"Perhaps you could call it a nuclear incantation."

"Lead, this is Patriarch, we are transferring arm codes at this time, over... Alright, do you have it?"

"Roger that Patriarch, arm code is our deity, confirm?"

"Affirmative, launch codes will be arriving from callsign Watcher."

"We read you. Will maintain radio silence until then. We are approaching the point of no return, one minute and counting."

"Over."

Six formations of RNSLB's continued on, shielded from view of ground guns by intermingling with wisps of black clouds now pervading the entire atmosphere of Asylum. Each air crew apprehensively waited for any communication from command. Pilots and bombardiers huddled around dashboards, while waist, top, tail, and bottom gunners pressed their headphones against their skulls.

"This is Watcher, over."

"This is Lead, we hear you."

"Launch code is zero-nine-nine. Zero-nine-nine, do you read?"

"We have the launch code. Approaching the point of no return, fifteen seconds."

"Negative, we have passed the point of no return. Will maintain radio silence. Say goodbye to your pals, infiltrator."

Infra, noticing the oncoming ships headed his way quickly retreated back into the sky, disappearing. He had to play it safe. There were other things he was needing to keep track of. He sensed a brotherly duel occuring elsewhere in the galaxy, one of them involving one of his followers. At least he got the upperhand in the battle with the Kklxin temporarily gaining his direct strength.

Rarsan shouted towards Infra, "You coward!"

Izerg replied, "Shall we go after him?"

"Not yet. They're not ready," Rarsan replied.

"Who?"

"That team of elite warriors. The best of the best. The GSSOC. Once they've prepared enough, we'll go after that son of a Blizzardpaw."

The battle continued for many long days. All three factions have begun exhausting their supplies and soldiers. It seemed as if there was no end to this battle.

Karrel slowly awoke and found himself laying on a grassy field. He slowly got up and found himself gazing at a snowy peak. He wasn't sure where he was exactly. Then, he spotted a large wooden building at the base. As he got closer, he saw two carvings of statues. Karrel looked to the skies and saw a blue Garmatox flying high above for a brief moment. Its roar echoed across the horizon. As Karrel got closer, there were two statues of Krayhan at this building as well as a Vaikan in ancient, iron armor holding a spear.

"King Rustiagon Karrel..." said the Vaikan. "I am Rol, the guardian of the longhall."

"Wh-where am I?" Karrel asked desperately. "Am I dreaming? The last thing I remember is...Rarsan. He was grieving over me."

"It's unfortunate to be here at such a young age. Many millions of Vaikan are grieving for you."

"No. I can't be dead! The kingdom still needs me! What about the Kklxin? Or Infra?"

"Put your worries to rest. You died with honor, King Rustiagon Karrel. That's all what matters. You left Foldgarde with others knowing that you gave your life in order to lead the final assault on the Kklxin. You are welcomed into the longhall to enjoy good food and drink until the Final Battle arrives."

Karrel suddenly felt a deep relaxation at ease. He had never felt so calm before. Karrel stepped in and saw many Vaikan feasting on a great variety of foods. They all looked up at him.

"Long live the King!" They all said at once as they bumped their wine glasses together. Karrel, as he was looking for his seat, spotted someone very familiar.

"Father?" Karrel said.

"Karrel, you've arrived here early," said Rustiagon Reckar. Karrel took a seat next to him. "But let's put the grievances aside. During your life, you've become such a great Vaikan. You've changed our race forever for the better. You will be remembered as one of the greatest kings of Vaikan history. I'm so proud of you."

Karrel smiled. "Thanks."

Reckar said, "It's time you enjoy yourself. When Vernietigen threatens to destroy the universe once more, you and I shall fight side by side."